]]>http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/court-green-lights-valeros-ethanol-purchase/feed/0GlobalScape gets leg up in the government markethttp://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/globalscape-gets-leg-up-in-the-government-market/
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/globalscape-gets-leg-up-in-the-government-market/#commentsWed, 18 Mar 2009 15:10:30 +0000http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/globalscape-gets-leg-up-in-the-government-market/San Antonio-based software provider GlobalScape Inc. has struck a partnership with leading government IT supplier Carahsoft Technology Corp. that will give federal customers easier access to its products.

Under the partnership, Carahsoft will add GlobalScape’s file-transfer software to its General Services Administration purchasing schedule. The GSA is the U.S. government’s independent purchasing agency, which oversees $66 billion in annual procurement.

Carahsoft also will provide sales and marketing support to for GlobalScape products within the federal, state and local government markets.

“We are thrilled to partner with Carahsoft to meet government demand for secure information exchange solutions,” said Jeff Gehring, GlobalScape’s vice president of sales.

Diversity Inc. magazine this week unveiled its annual list of the Top 50 Companies for Diversity, and at least three companies with big San Antonio ties made the list.

AT&T Inc., which has a division headquarters here, ranked No. 2; Time Warner Cable, the city’s dominant cable provider, was No. 38; and Toyota, which builds its Tundra pickup here, was No. 40.

Diversity Inc. determined the rankings via a detailed survey. Participating companies won points for their CEO’s commitment to diversity, diversity among workers and suppliers and their corporate communications.

]]>http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/valero-repairs-taking-longer-than-expected/feed/0SAC gives students access to Kettering programshttp://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/sac-gives-students-access-to-kettering-programs/
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/sac-gives-students-access-to-kettering-programs/#commentsTue, 17 Mar 2009 14:56:04 +0000http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/sac-gives-students-access-to-kettering-programs/San Antonio College and Michigan’s Kettering University have signed an agreement aimed at giving South Texas students access to highly regarded engineering, science, math and business programs.

The two colleges’ academic partnership will allow students to spend their first two years at San Antonio College and their final 2 ½ years in nationally ranked Kettering’s baccalaureate program in Flint, Mich.

“This partnership creates a collaborative model for a new concept in engineering education,” SAC President Robert E. Zeigler said. “The joint efforts of community colleges and four-year institutions will produce adaptable ‘industry-ready’ engineers for the unpredictable 21st century economy.”

The National Oil & Lube News recently featured a glowing profile of the 19-store quick-lube chain, citing its ability to grow revenues 26 percent from April through December of last year. During that economically challenging period, owners Harold and Jason Smith also added four new stores.

The Smiths told National Oil & Lube News that they’ve beat the recession by being “pretty observant with vendors and what prices we’re paying” and by not wasting inventory. While other companies have cut back, Express Lube is bumping up ad spending this year.

“We haven’t done anything that someone else couldn’t have done,” Jason Smith, vice president of operations, told the magazine. “It’s just attention to details and not settling for less.”

]]>http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/hei-serves-up-new-servers/feed/0Toyota rolls 1 million hybrids off the assembly linehttp://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/toyota-rolls-1-million-hybrids-off-the-assembly-line/
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/toyota-rolls-1-million-hybrids-off-the-assembly-line/#commentsWed, 11 Mar 2009 18:46:43 +0000http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/toyota-rolls-1-million-hybrids-off-the-assembly-line/Toyota Motor Corp. today said it’s sold more than a million hybrid Toyota and Lexus vehicles in the U.S.

The Japan-based automaker also said that sales milestone has given it a nearly 75 percent share of the U.S. hybrid market.

About 700,000 of the total have been Toyota’s Prius, the gas-electric car it launched in 2000. The company now has six hybrid models — the Tundra pickup produced in San Antonio is not among them. It plans to launch 10 more by 2012.

“Dirty Car Artist” Wade has made a name for himself creating mural-style art on dirty car windows around the country. During the city-wide Luminaria arts fest, Wade will etch San Antonio landmarks onto the windows of a dirty Ford Flex.

Wade will begin his work at around 5:30 pm Saturday at the Alameda Theater. He’ll be working rain or shine, according to the Ford folks.

Wade’s art has been featured on the CBS Early Show, and he recently illustrated the cast of the Dallas television show for the cast reunion.

Christus Health Care today opened the Healthy Living Spa in Beaumont, the first Murad Health Center in Texas.

Dr. Howard Murad, founder of Murad Inc., was on hand today for the opening ceremony. Murad’s firm produces skin health products and is considered a pioneer of the clinical skincare movement.

Christus, operator of the Christus Santa Rosa system, is one of the nation’s largest Catholic health-care providers. It partnered with Murad on the center to aid the healing of hospital clinic patients.

The 3,400-square foot spa features treatments focused on supporting the needs of internal, external and emotional self care.

Looks like Brackman is finalist for Texas Roadhouse’s Managing Partner of the Year award, the restaurant chain’s highest honor.

Brackman, managing partner of Texas Roadhouse’s 2893 Cinema Ridge location, is one of 12 finalists for the prize. They will be judged on seven categoies, including food, service and profits.

The winner, announced April 5, will receive a lead crystal replica of a Texas Roadhouse restaurant, a Managing Partner of the Year ring, a gold belt buckle and — here’s the really nice part — a check for $15,000.

Should be interesting to see if a real-life Texan can bring home the Louisville, Ky.-based restaurant chain’s biggest award.

The new office — located at 5841 NW Loop 410, Suite 110 in the Ingram Heights Shopping Center — is one of three San Antonio-area locations Monarch plans for the year. The other two will be in The Stone Ridge Shopping Center and Schertz, officials said.

Monarch is part of the 300-office Bright Now! network of dentists. Bright Now! is headquartered in Santa Ana, Calif.

]]>http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/bamc-anesthesia-info-goes-high-tech/feed/0Texas unemployment up, but not as bad as the nationhttp://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/texas-unemployment-up-but-not-as-bad-as-the-nation/
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/texas-unemployment-up-but-not-as-bad-as-the-nation/#commentsThu, 05 Mar 2009 15:48:11 +0000http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/texas-unemployment-up-but-not-as-bad-as-the-nation/You want the good news first or the bad news?

Fine. Let’s get the bad out of the way first.

Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate climbed to 6.4 percent in January. That’s up from up from a revised 5.6 percent in December and 4.4 percent a year ago, according to new Texas Worforce Commission data.

The good news, however, is that Texas trails the U.S. unemployment rate, which has escalated to 7.6 percent. The state’s unemployment rate has consistently remained well below the national rate for the past year, TWC officials said.

In January, Texas’ seasonally adjusted nonagricultural employment dropped by 75,800 jobs. Employers posted a net loss of 5,300 jobs over the year, compared with job losses of 3.5 million nationwide for the same period.

]]>http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/texas-unemployment-up-but-not-as-bad-as-the-nation/feed/0SpringStage to provide startup help in San Antoniohttp://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/springstage-to-provide-startup-help-in-san-antonio/
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/springstage-to-provide-startup-help-in-san-antonio/#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2009 17:00:18 +0000http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/springstage-to-provide-startup-help-in-san-antonio/SpringStage, a newly formed virtual community for startup businesses, has launched today with help from “Community Catalysts” in more than a dozen cities, including San Antonio.

Tech blogger and publicist Alan Weinkrantz will serve as San Antonio’s catalyst. He’ll be running the San Antonio Startup Blog, which links to SpringStage’s website. (In the interest of full disclosure, Alan also writes a column for the Express-News.)

SpringStage aims to have 100 startup communities worldwide by the end of 2010. The company’s sites will provide information and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs, and its local organizers will help host educational and social events.

]]>http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/springstage-to-provide-startup-help-in-san-antonio/feed/0Target targets San Antoniohttp://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/target-targets-san-antonio/
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/target-targets-san-antonio/#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2009 16:18:20 +0000http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/target-targets-san-antonio/Discount retailer Target is opening 27 new stores, including a new general merchandise outlet in San Antonio.

]]>http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/target-targets-san-antonio/feed/0Toyota joins the ranks and asks for government helphttp://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/toyota-joins-the-ranks-and-asks-for-government-help/
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/toyota-joins-the-ranks-and-asks-for-government-help/#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2009 15:41:54 +0000http://blog.mysanantonio.com/clockingin/2009/03/toyota-joins-the-ranks-and-asks-for-government-help/When Toyota is asking for government help, you know the car industry is really in trouble.

The financing unit of Toyota — considered the automaker best equipped to ride out the recession — is in talks with a Japanese government-backed bank on a possible lending package, according to an Associated Press report.

Citing unidentified sources, Kyodo News and NHK TV reported that Toyota’s auto loan unit, Toyota Financial Services, had asked for a 200 billion yen ($2 billion) loan. The company’s lending division does most of its business in the United States, where auto sales are in the tank and credit markets are constricted.

We’ve known the Chrysler and GM were in trouble, but this news about Toyota gives a whole new sobering perspective on just hard things are for auto manufacturers.

It also comes as Toyota prepares to release its U.S. sales this afternoon. Let’s tune in to see what the numbers show.

Despite the global economic meltdown, more than half of Texans (54 percent) say they feel less affected by the recession because of their location in the Lone Star State, according to a new survey by Everest Colleges.

What’s more, 64 percent say they feel some degree of optimism that they can find a new job, if need be.

Everest released the survey today, Texas Independence Day, and 95 percent of respondents also say they consider themselves “independent” (whatever that means) during the financial crunch.

Let’s hope that spirit of the Alamo can carry us through this downturn.